Comfort
by CherryNinja
Summary: It was the perfect arrangement: Whenever the stress became to much for Hanzo he would visit Kotaro for a round of stress relieve. But what happens when this arrangement is threatened by a war and slowly developing feelings?
1. Chapter 1

I wrote this story about half a year ago but then forgot about it since I thought it was bad. When I reread it some days ago I thought "Well, it's not _that_ bad" and decided to post it. I have to improve some scenes but since most of the story is already written the updates shouldn't take that long (There will be four chapters).

Originally it was supposed to be a oneshot but I came up with the plot for the other chaps .when I got bored during my cousin's wedding party. ^_^;

* * *

It was that time again and Hanzo was on his way to Odawara. On his way to Kotaro Fuma.

It had been four days since he had returned to Hamamatsu with his lord and their army. They had been away for a long time, fighting a battle that they nearly would have lost. It had been terrible. There had been destruction and death everywhere and Hanzo had been right there in the middle of it all. Like always he had played a very important role. Information gathering, infiltratiion, assassination, there had been a lot of pressure on him but like always he had successfully completed every mission given to him by his lord. Finally they had won and returned to Hamamatsu. Soon after their return Hanzo had left.

He looked around the forest. It wasn't very far, he was nearly there. To his right he saw one of Kotaro's dogs. It regarded him carefully and then started to howl. Hanzo didn't worry, the animal knew him.

When Kotaro's small house came into view he slowed down. The other didn't need to know how much he had hurried to get here.

He approached the house. It wasn't really a house but rather a small cabin, sitting secluded in the forest of Odawara, far away from everybody to allow its occupant complete isolation, but near enough to the castle so that Kotaro would be able to come to the aide of his lord if he needed to. Hanzo was just about to reach for the door when he heard a voice from somewhere behind him.

"I see you have returned."

Hanzo turned around and looked into the forest he had just come out of. The sun had set maybe an hour ago and he couldn't see where the voice had come from. There was a flash of red as Kotaro jumped down from a tree and walked towards him. Hanzo noticed that the other wore nothing but his pants and was looking at him intently.

When Kotaro stood right in front of him he spoke again. "So you survived the battle? That doesn't really surprise me. You are one of the best after all." He grinned.

"You know that I am not here for talking."

Kotaro chuckled. "Of course you aren't."

Immediately Hanzo's back hit the wall and the other was on him. Kotaro grabbed Hanzo's hips and lifted him up so that they were face to face, pressing Hanzo against the wall. Hanzo wrapped his legs around the bigger man's waist as he was crushed by the other's big chest.

Then Hanzo's mask and hood were ripped from his head as Kotaro attacked his neck, nipping and sucking all the way from his shoulder to his ear. There was nothing tender or loving about the gesture. It didn't matter that the other's teeth nipped his neck several times and he didn't care if the fluid running down his shoulder was saliva or blood. There would but bruises in the morning but it didn't matter, they would be covered by his hood.

Hanzo started thrusting his groin against Kotaro's stomach when he felt the other's mouth nibbling at his ear. Burying his hands in Kotaro's fiery hair he whimpered. This was one of his weak spots and Kotaro never failed to abuse that knowledge.

"Not here. Inside."

Kotaro looked up from Hanzo's neck and grinned. "As you wish." With one hand on Hanzo's ass and one around his shoulders Kotaro carried him inside.

When Kotaro moved in to kiss him on the lips Hanzo used his grip in the other's hair to pull his head back. He shot the bigger man a dark glare. "You know that I don't kiss."

The other smirked. "Why not? You don't know what you're missing."

"This is not up for discussion."

"Fine, have it your way." Then Kotaro laid him down on his futon. "Since you don't have any spare clothes I don't suppose I can simply rip them off?" Hanzo glared at him but only got another smirk in return. "What a shame, that would have been fun."

Hanzo watched as first his armour and then his shirt was taken off. When he had bared Hanzo's chest Kotaro started exploring it with his mouth, nipping his right nipple with his teeth while his left hand was pinching the other one. When he also used his other hand to massage the cock that was still covered by the pants, Hanzo arched his back and moaned, fisting his hands in the futon. If Kotaro kept this up he wouldn't be able to hold on very long.

He pushed Kotaro's head downwards, urging him on to take off his pants. The other released his nipple and grinned. "Impatient, aren't we?" But he complied nonetheless. While Kotaro nipped and bit on Hanzo's stomach he slowly slid the pants down so that Hanzo's cock sprang free, hard and ready for more.

When Kotaro had rid Hanzo of the rest of his clothes, he reached into the pocket of his own pants to take out a small vial with oil.

Hanzo was looking down at him surprised. "You knew that I was coming?" He was already breathing fast.

Kotaro had covered his fingers with oil. "My dog told me." He then knelt down between Hanzo's legs and started to prepare him, first inserting one finger and when he didn't meet much resistance adding a second one, moving them in and out.

Hanzo panted. "That's enough, do it."

Kotaro looked up, frowning slightly. "Difficult battle?"

"Just do it already!" Hanzo almost shouted.

He saw the other take off his pants and kneel down again between his legs. After covering his dick with the rest of the oil Kotaro reached for Hanzo's hips to position himself. Hanzo arched his back as he felt the other slowly push in. It felt so good. He needed this. Needed to feel the pressure and the slight pain from no being fully prepared. He tightly gripped Kotaro's shoulders, probably leaving bruises of his own.

When Kotaro was fully inside he stilled but Hanzo soon grew impatient. "What part of 'Just do it' don't you understand, damnit!"

He didn't have to ask twice as Kotaro pulled out and slammed back in. The moan that Hanzo let out was all that it needed for Kotaro to pound into him.

This was exactly what he needed. The slapping of flesh against flesh. Kotaro's hand that was pinching his nipple and the tongue that was licking his chest. But it wasn't enough.

"Please."

Kotaro grinned. "Please what?"

"Damnit Kotaro, don't play with me!"

"Tch, you are no fun." He reached down to grab Hanzo's dick and stroke him, causing the other to arch his back and moan even louder. "You are scaring all the wildlife around here." Kotaro leaned down to lick and bite at Hanzo's neck again.

The change in angle caused the bigger man to hit his prostate and all it took for Hanzo were a few more strokes before he found his release in an earth-shattering orgasm. He could feel that the other wasn't far behind when only a few seconds later a loud growl sounded through the room and Kotaro's heat flooded him.

Kotaro carefully pulled out before crashing down next to the smaller man. There was silence while both ninjas were trying to catch their breath.

It wasn't long before Hanzo got up to gather his clothes.

"You don't stay the night?"

He looked down where Kotaro still lay on the futon in all his naked glory. "You know that I never stay."

"Why not?" There was no teasing in Kotaro's voice, he was completely serious.

Hanzo sighed. They had the same discussion every time he came here. "You know that us having sex doesn't mean that I like you. You know why I am doing this."

Kotaro rolled his eyes. "How could I not know, you tell me the same thing every time you come to me after all." He crossed his arms behind his head. "You don't like me, you just use me and if we ever meet on the battlefield you will kill me without hesitation. I've heard it all. But despite all that you always come to me every time you return from a battle." A knowing smirk started to form on Kotaro's face. "You could look for somebody else in Hamamatsu you know. Even anonymously since I suppose that nobody there knows how you look like under your mask. But still you come all the way to Odawara, every time. You come to me."

Hanzo had problems holding Kotaro's intense gaze. He knew that there were things that Kotaro didn't say but they both knew. It wasn't a coincidence that he always came to Kotaro when he needed to forget. They were enemies, but nonetheless they might be the only ones able to understand each other. Understand that even though they were cold blooded killers on the battlefield, it didn't leave them unaffected.

He dropped the pants he had just picked up from the floor and lay back down on the futon next to Kotaro. He felt the other's strong arms wrap around him and then his back was pressed against Kotaro's chest.

His first instinct was to pull away and free himself from the other's embrace. But then he felt Kotaro's arms tighten around his chest even more and the other's warm breath hit his neck and suddenly he felt himself relax. Hanzo didn't know why, but oddly enough he felt kind of safe and protected, lying here in Kotaro's strong arms. It was really nice.

Hanzo was gone before sunrise.


	2. Chapter 2

This is chapter two of Comfort. I guess this is where the plot comes into play. There needs to be some drama after all. ^_^

* * *

Several weeks after his last encounter with Kotaro Hanzo was sitting in a meeting with his lord and all the important generals of the Tokugawa army. They had just returned from Osaka where his lord had been in a big conference with Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Hanzo didn't know what had been decided there, but he would probably find out soon enough.

It didn't take long before Ieyasu entered the room to start the meeting.

"As most of you know I have been to Osaka for several days because Lord Hideyoshi has asked me to join him in battle. In two weeks we will march together with the Toyotomi forces to Odawara to get rid of that nuisance Ujiyasu Hojo since…"

Hanzo's mind went blank. Hojo? They were going to Odawara to fight against the Hojo clan? But that meant that he had to… he would have to fight Kotaro!

But that shouldn't be a problem. Right? After all they were enemies and this thing between them was only sex. A meeting of two bodies for mutual pleasure, nothing more. But then why had he stayed with Kotaro the last time? Why did he suddenly have doubts about fighting Kotaro? What was happening here?

He focused on the table before him where his lord had just begun explaining their battle tactic.

He had two weeks to get rid of those doubts. If he didn't he would be dead, because Kotaro certainly wouldn't have any problems killing him.

-x-

Early morning two weeks later Hanzo found himself just outside of Odawara castle, waiting for the right time to begin his mission.

Those last two weeks had been hell. Day after day he had tried to tell himself that there would be nothing special about the fight in Odawara, that Kotaro was just another enemy he had to eliminate in order to ensure that his lord and Toyotomi would stay in power. But it didn't work. There was something nagging him in the back of his head that constantly told him he shouldn't do it, couldn't do it. But that was stupid, he was a ninja and his only goal was to accomplish the mission given to him by his lord. It didn't matter what he thought about it. And if he told himself that often enough he might actually believe it.

And so the days had gone by and he had trained a lot. To be prepared for the battle, sure, but also to get a distraction from all the thoughts that had been running through his head and kept him from getting any peace.

Looking at the sky Hanzo could see the first traces of the new day. It was time for him to go. Together with the other ninjas of the Iga clan he would infiltrate the castle, cause a commotion and open the doors for the Toyotomi-Tokugawa main army. Then they would go and eliminate Ujiyasu Hojo. He just hoped that he wouldn't run into Kotaro.

Together with the other ninjas he made his way through the forest to the castle. Suddenly he heard a howl sound through the forest. From out of the corner of his eye he saw a big grey furry something standing next to a tree. It was one of Kotaro's dogs calling for its master but Hanzo just ignored the animal.

When they arrived at the castle everything went according to plan. They had little problem entering the castle, the Iga ninjas went through an excellent training and entering a castle was an easy task for them. While some of them distracted the guards and caused overall confusion, the others succeeded in opening the gates to the already eagerly waiting army on the outside.

After the gates had been opened all hell broke loose. The Hojo army was fighting bravely but against the united powers of both the Toyotomi and the Tokugawa they were hopelessly outnumbered and out-powered. Hanzo made his way towards the main house of the castle where they suspected Ujiyasu to be. So far there hadn't been any sing of Kotaro, maybe if he finished his mission quickly the battle would be over before Kotaro even arrived.

When he entered the main house he could see no sings of fighting. Apparently their army hadn't gotten so far yet. But the fact that there also were very few Hojo soldiers made his somehow suspicious.

Silently he sneaked through the house, careful not to be seen. It might not be the honourable way but this way he would be faster in finding the leader of the Hojo clan and avoid unnecessary casualties. And he was a ninja after all.

Just when he had climbed the stairs to the second floor to carefully analyse the situation there and look for enemies, all his hopes were shattered. Standing there in his full glory was Kotaro Fuma.

Hanzo went stock-still. He didn't know what to do since he didn't want to fight Kotaro. He was still hidden from the other. Maybe if he went back and took another way he could get to Ujiyasu without coming across the man still standing there, displaying a calmness that would never make you think that there was a war going on outside.

When Kotaro spoke his face was completely expressionless. "Come out Hanzo. I know you are there."

Hanzo flinched. It seemed like his camouflage hadn't been as good as he had hoped. He stepped out of his hiding place on the stairs, up to the second floor and stood across the room from Kotaro, regarding him carefully. During all of this the other didn't move a muscle.

After some long moments of strained silence Hanzo spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"If you haven't noticed, there is a fight going on out there. I am here to protect my master." Just like the rest of him, Kotaro's voice didn't betray any emotions.

Hanzo made a step towards Kotaro. "This battle is already decided. There is nothing you can do anymore to save your master. But if you leave now you will have no problems getting out of here." Why didn't Kotaro understand that he only wanted to help him?

"Tell me Hanzo, would you leave your lord when you thought that the battle was lost, or wouldn't you rather defend him till the very end?" When he got no answer Kotaro went on. "Just like I thought. No matter what you tell me about the battle being lost already, I will fight till the end."

Hanzo sighed. "You leave me no other choice then."

Weapon drawn he charged at Kotaro. If the other wanted to fight then he would fight.

Kotaro easily blocked the first strike with his gauntlets, the second and third one too. During the fourth strike Kotaro grabbed Hanzo's forearm and hurled him across the room against the wall.

Springing to his feet, Hanzo took a defensive stance to be ready for a counterattack from Kotaro, but the other was just standing there, looking at him calmly. Hanzo was getting angry. Why didn't Kotaro fight back? Didn't he take him seriously?

With a cry he attacked again. And again Kotaro only fended off his strikes. When he hit the wall a second time Hanzo had enough. He created two clones and attacked a third time. Even Kotaro wouldn't stand a chance against three of him. While his clones led the attack, Hanzo himself stayed in the background, waiting for his chance. And he didn't have to wait long. With two enemies attacking the other clearly had more problems than before and when he was distracted for a moment Hanzo dropped down and kicked at Kotaro's feet. This move caused the other to loose his balance and fall on his back. In a flash Hanzo was on him, straddling his chest with the blade of his sickle pressed against Kotaro's throat. The clones vanished, both of them breathing hard from the fight.

Despite the situation Kotaro's face turned into a smirk. "I'm sure Ujiyasu has fled by now, my mission here is done."

Hanzo's muscles strained, ready to slit the throat of the man that had caused him to let their main target escape. But when he sat there looking at the face of the man that was just smirking up at him like he didn't have a care in the world he found that he… simply couldn't do it. There was something that was keeping him from killing Kotaro.

Hanzo had always prided himself on being a man without emotions. He didn't need them, he was a ninja and his only goal in life was to fight and eventually die for lord. His meetings with Kotaro had only served one purpose: to get the stress from all those battles he had fought out of his system. Kotaro had been able to provide him with the necessary help. He had taken control and freed Hanzo from all the pressure and responsibility that were weighing on him, at least for a few hours. He had used Kotaro for his needs.

But something had changed with that last meeting several weeks ago. He hadn't left after they were finished like he always did. Instead he had stayed, had lain in Kotaro's arms while the other had slept. He had spent the night pressed against Kotaro's chest and it had felt nice, the embrace of his biggest enemy had made him feel warm and safe.

He looked down at Kotaro. That infuriating smirk was still in place.

He lessened the pressure of his sickle against the other's throat. What they had was just sex, nothing more. So why couldn't he simply kill the man?

Angry at himself for his inability Hanzo withdrew his sickle. "Get out."

Kotaro raised and eyebrow. "What?"

"I said get-"

"Hanzo!"

Hanzo's head whipped around. There, at the top of the stairs were his lord Ieyasu, Tadakatsu Honda, as well as several other generals and soldiers of their army. While Tadakatsu and some of the soldiers took the stairs to the third floor, his lord and the rest came running towards him.

"You managed to capture Kotaro Fuma? Fine work Hanzo." Ieyasu seemed impressed.

Oh shit, so much for letting Kotaro get away. He had to think of something. "My lord, I-"

"My lord. There is nobody on the third floor." Tadakatsu was coming down the stairs.

"He must have taken advantage of the fight outside to flee. Tadakatsu, you take Fuma and make sure that he won't escape. Maybe he can be of some use. Hanzo, go and see if you can find any trace of Ujiyasu Hojo."

Hanzo hesitated. His lord had said that they would take Kotaro as a prisoner, which meant that he was safe, at least for now. And he had to obey his lord.

The last thing he saw as he left was Kotaro lying on his stomach, hands tied behind his back and Tadakatsu's tonbogiri against his neck.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's chapter three of Comfort with more plot, more angst and of course more Kotaro and Hanzo. And now on to the story with more… erm, I mean without more ado. ^_^

* * *

One week later found Hanzo on his way to the dungeon of Hamamatsu castle. It was the first time that he would see Kotaro after their fight at Odawara.

While most of their army had pursued Ujiyasu Hojo after he had managed to flee from Odawara, Kotaro had been taken to Hamamatsu. His lord had decided to keep Kotaro as a prisoner so if they should have problems tracking down Ujiyasu, they might be able to get some information out of Kotaro. Hanzo doubted that the other would have told them anything, but he wouldn't complain. At least this way Kotaro was still alive.

He was glad. With all the rush of the last few days his lord had somehow forgotten that Kotaro was still here, which had the advantage that nobody would notice if Hanzo paid a visit to their prisoner.

He arrived at Kotaro's cell and looked inside. The other was sitting against the back wall. His arms were spread and chained to the wall. With the chains just short enough to prevent Kotaro from putting his hands together, the one securing him apparently didn't want to take any chance of Kotaro performing any ninjutsu. His arms were bare, somebody had taken the gauntlets from him, just like the armour from his feet. He was slumped forward, only held up by his arms attached to the wall, head bowed down.

Hanzo just stood there and regarded Kotaro. He had to swallow hard. How could this once so proud warrior now look so defeated?

After some moments Kotaro lifted his head and sent him a dark look. "What do you want?"

Hanzo tried for the most emotionless voice he had. "I just wanted to tell you that Ujiyasu Hojo is dead. He managed to escape from Odawara, but our forces were able to track him to Oshi castle where the Ishida army defeated him."

Kotaro sneered. "So you came here to tell me my master got killed because I have been stupid enough to get caught at Odawara? I could have done without that knowledge."

Hanzo had never seen the other so hateful. Even while fighting Kotaro rarely showed hate. When he fought he usually liked to tease and annoy his opponents but he seldom got angry himself. The time in the dungeon must have gotten to him.

"No, that wasn't my intention."

He looked closely at Kotaro. The other looked bad. His face was paler than usual and under all that anger he just looked tired.

"Anything else you wanted?"

He looked at Kotaro. There was something that had been eating at him for the last week. "Why didn't you fight me?"

"Why didn't you kill me?"

Hanzo hesitated. How should he answer that question? During the last few days he hadn't had any time to really think about the events that had occurred at Odawara. He really needed to figure out what was going on here. What was it that had kept him from killing Kotaro? He needed to-

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter now." Kotaro let his head fall forward, sighed and shook his head. "Since Ujiyasu is dead I'm sure your lord will get rid of me soon enough."

Hanzo didn't know what to say and left.

-x-

When Hanzo returned the next day he brought food. He didn't know how much food the prisoners got but it probably wasn't enough for a man of Kotaro's size. He found the other in the exact same position as the day before. When he opened the door to the cell Kotaro lifted his head and looked at him.

"Are you bringing me my last meal?" He smirked but Hanzo noticed that it didn't reach his eyes.

He put the tray down and sat in front of Kotaro. "Why do you think this is your last meal?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I am sitting in a cell, chained to the wall, waiting for my execution?" He shrugged and leaned back against the wall. Even sitting he still had an imposing presence.

"You don't have to worry, there won't be any execution any time soon. I talked to my lord and told him that I might be able to get some useful secrets out of you."

Of course Hanzo knew that Kotaro would never tell him anything, no ninja would ever disclose the secrets of his clan. But his lord was no ninja, he didn't know about these things. So Ieayasu had agreed to spare Kotaro for the time being, giving Hanzo the opportunity to think about what he should do.

When Kotaro sent him that dark look again he hurried to add "I know that I won't get any secrets from you. But this way I have prevented your execution."

One of Kotaro's eyebrows rose. "And why would you do such a thing?"

There was that question again. He knew that it was coming and still he didn't have an answer.

When he had left the dungeon the day before, his main focus had been on the question how to keep Kotaro alive. About those other things, let's just say he still tried to figure our what was going on with him. So Hanzo used one of his most approved tactics: When in doubt, attack.

"Don't you want to stay alive?"

"To rot away in this cell?" Kotaro spat. "Since Ujiyasu is dead I know that I will never leave here alive, there's nobody to get me out of here. I'd rather be dead than stuck in this hellhole forever."

Hanzo didn't know why, but somehow Kotaro's hard words hurt, the thought of him suddenly gone and leaving Hanzo alone unbearable. "How about you pledge allegiance to my lord? I am sure if I talked to him I could convince him."

"Never. I will never work for Tokugawa."

"But why? Why are you so hell-bent on dying? I understand that you are angry because your master is dead and you couldn't do anything to save him. But that's no reason for you to throw your life away, too." Hanzo was getting frustrated. Why didn't Kotaro understand that he was just trying to help him.

Suddenly Kotaro smirked. "I think the more interesting question here is why are _you_ so hell-bent on saving me? I thought you were a ninja. Why didn't you kill your lord's enemy when you had the chance? Maybe you should do it now, there is nobody keeping you from doing it. After all I told you I'd rather die than stay like this any longer!"

The slap Hanzo gave him must have been as surprising to Kotaro as it was to Hanzo. Kotaro was probably the only being in this country that was able to rile Hanzo up that way, bringing out the best and the worst in him.

"How can you even say something like that? I am trying to help you, not kill you.

"Oh really? What happened to 'I don't like you and will kill you if we meet on the battlefield'? Now Kotaro was openly mocking him.

"I can't do it." He leaned forward and grabbed Kotaro's shirt, pulling the other forward until they were almost face to face. "Why don't you understand that I can't lose you, Kotaro." Then one of his hands released the shirt, going to grab Kotaro's cock, massaging it through the pants. "I need you."

For a moment the other didn't move, then Hanzo felt him drawing up his right foot, kicking hard against Hanzo's chest. Hanzo didn't have time to brace himself for the impact. All the air was knocked out of him when he hit the bars of the cell hard with his back. He coughed and tried to breath. When he looked up he saw that Kotaro was on his feet, too, pulling against his chains, trying to get to him. His face was pure rage.

"What do you think you're doing? I am not some kind pet that you can keep in a cage and use when you want! I don't play like that!" Kotaro's shouts were echoing through the whole dungeon. The chains that were holding him back were creaking and Hanzo feared that they were near their breaking point. With his gleaming eyes and the flaming red hair Kotaro looked like a real demon.

Hanzo got to his feet. "No, you don't understand, this isn't a game. I need you." How should he explain something he didn't really understand himself.

"You don't need me. You need somebody you can take advantage of." Kotaro's voice was low and dangerous. "And now that I am here in Hamamatsu, I am even more convenient. But you know what? I am sick of this! Go look for somebody else to satisfy your needs. And now, get out!"

Hanzo was shocked. He would never have thought that Kotaro would react like that. He had never before given any indication that he had any problem with what they had been doing. He didn't know what had changed. "I don't understand-"

"I SAID GET OUT!"


	4. Chapter 4

Here's the last chapter of Comfort. Will this two ever get together after what happened in the last chapter? Well, since this story is romance not tragedy you probably know the answer already.

I know that parts of this chapter are maybe a bit too fluffy and emotional for Kotaro and Hanzo but somehow I can't write it any other way. And who knows, may they have a soft and romantic side under all that badass ninja exterior? Although… The picture of Kotaro standing under Hanzo's window with flowers in his hand? Ok, maybe not. -_-

A big thank you to LadyKatatonic and Sand Dun for their reviews for the previous chaps. And now on to the last chapter. ^_^

* * *

Hanzo was sitting in a tree in the forest near the castle. It had been two days since Kotaro had kicked him out of his cell, as crazy as it might sound.

Those last two days had been terrible. He would never have thought he could feel so miserable about being rejected by another person. He had never really cared for things like that before, a ninja was more successful if he didn't have any emotions, but recently he had noticed that he had certain… feelings for the other man.

All he could think about was Kotaro.

Just now he realised how much he had depended on Kotaro, how much the other meant to him. When they had started their arrangement it had been out of desperation. It had been after the battle at Ueda castle, the only time the Hojo and Tokugawa armies had ever joined forces. Some things had gone horribly wrong with one of his missions, causing him to lose many of his ninjas, and he had nearly lost his mind. Then something had happened that he never would have thought: Kotaro had been there for him. He had taken control and freed Hanzo from all his doubts and bad memories. At first he had struggled, fought the other, but it hadn't taken very long before he had submitted to his urges. Kotaro was very talented, not only as a ninja. It had been fantastic and he had hated himself for weeks afterwards that he had given in.

It had taken nearly a year and another terrible battle for him to make his way to Odawara for the first time. He hadn't known how Kotaro would react if he just showed up at his door. But in contrast to his dogs Kotaro had almost given him a warm welcome, at least by his standards. They hadn't talked, the other had known exactly what he wanted, and he had given it to him without complaints. After that the intervals between his visits had become shorter and shorter. While at first it had always taken something big for him to go to Kotaro, he had become more and more dependent on the other. But two things had always stayed the same through all this time: they hadn't kissed and he had never stayed after they were done. As soon as he had somewhat recovered he had dressed and vanished, usually sleeping about an hour away from Kotaro's house. Somewhere along the way Kotaro had started to ask him to stay, but he never had. Until that fateful night.

That night he had spent lying in Kotaro's embrace he had felt something he hadn't experienced for a very long time. He had felt protected and safe. It wasn't like he thought he was in danger when he lived in Hamamatsu castle, but it had been different. There just was something special about lying in another person's arms. That's why he hadn't slept a minute that night and left before Kotaro had woken up. Now that he had given in to the other man and stayed, what would the other ask for next? He didn't know and was almost afraid to find out.

And then there was the thing with their fight at Odawara. He had always thought that no matter what, he would always do his duty. But he hadn't been able to kill or even seriously harm Kotaro, had decided to let him escape before his lord and the others had shown up. He had never neglected his duty like that, it had always been the most important thing in his life. But suddenly there had been something more important than his mission.

Maybe it was because the hostility between them had vanished almost completely. Kotaro too hadn't tried to harm him even once during their fight at Odawara. At first Hanzo had thought that the other was simply toying with him, but maybe he had just tried to buy time for Ujiyasu to escape without hurting Hanzo by simply distracting him. And that night when he had lain in Kotaro's arms the other had slept, trusting Hanzo enough to lie there completely defenceless.

Kotaro didn't see him as an enemy anymore, and if he was honest with himself, neither did he. But if they weren't enemies anymore, what were they?

The arrival of one of one of his subordinate ninjas brought Hanzo from his thoughts.

"Hattori-sama, Lord Tokugawa wishes to see you."

He gave a nod. "I'm on my way."

-x-

Hanzo lay on his futon in his room. He had tried to go to sleep for hours but he just couldn't. He was restless thanks to all those thoughts running through his head.

He had returned from his mission this afternoon. The Toyotomi-Tokugawa army had been able to defeat Ujiyasu Hojo, but there had still been some followers of the Hojo-clan left. His mission had been simple: go to the camp and kill everybody.

It had been short, only five days, but it had been terrible. They had greatly underestimated the number of people and level of organisation in the camp. All that had resulted in Hanzo not only having to complete his mission but fight for his life. He had come close several times but other than a big gash on his right arm he had managed to get away almost unscathed.

But that alone wouldn't have been so bad, he was used to fighting for his life after all. What had really shook him was the number of unarmed and civilian people in the camp. But he didn't have a choice, his mission was to wipe out the hole camp and that was exactly what he had done.

The gash had been bandaged, but the sight of all those people he had killed still played in front of his eyes every time he closed them.

Had it been five weeks ago he would have been on his way to Kotaro as soon as he had finished his report to his lord. It was times like this when he really realized how much he had started to depend on the other.

But it wasn't the sex because he could have gotten that anywhere. It was Kotaro himself, he knew that now. Kotaro had kept him sane and somehow he had started to develop feelings for him. Hanzo suspected that they had been there for a long time, but that one night had finally brought them to the surface.

Hanzo rolled on his side and hissed when the wound on his arm twinged. He sighed. It was no use, he would never be able to go to sleep like that. Resigned he got up and silently made his way to the dungeon.

When he arrived at Kotaro's cell he looked inside. The other was sitting against the wall and it seemed like he was sleeping. Which was no wonder, considering it was the middle of the night.

Carefully he opened the door. When it squeaked he hesitated but Kotaro didn't give any indication that he had heard. Hanzo then walked across the room and stood before the other. Now that he was here, he didn't really know what to do. But the simple fact that he was in the presence of Kotaro somehow calmed the storm inside him.

After some moments just standing there he sat down to Kotaro's right, leaned against the other's strong chest and closed his eyes. It took mere seconds before he was asleep.

Hanzo never noticed one of Kotaro's eyes watching him before it closed again.

-x-

When Hanzo awoke the next morning he didn't know where he was at first. The only thing he realized was a big warm body pressing against him. It felt nice.

"Are you finally awake?"

The voice from above startled him and Hanzo drew back hastily, nearly falling down. With wide eyes he looked up at Kotaro who still had a somewhat pissed look on his face but wasn't nearly as angry as one week ago.

"What are you doing here?" Hanzo blinked, still kind of confused.

"Well, considering that this is my cell the question should be what are _you_ doing here?"

"I…" This was the third time that Kotaro had asked him in some way why he always came back to him. But this time the answer was simple. "I came back from a mission yesterday and I couldn't sleep. That's why I came here."

Kotaro looked at him but didn't say a word. Hanzo couldn't read a single emotion on his face. Nervously he shifted, trying to sit up. When he accidentally tried to put weight on his right arm he winced and grabbed it. When he looked up he had the impression that Kotaro looked slightly worried. But maybe that was just his imagination because as soon as he thought he saw the emotion, it was gone again.

"Then why didn't you wake me if you wanted stress relief?" Kotaro's question sounded like a challenge. "After all you've never had any problems about showing up in the middle of the night before."

Did Kotaro really think that that was the only thing Hanzo wanted from him? Somehow he felt bad that the other thought so little of him. But when he thought about it he had never given him any sign that he was more than someone to bring him pleasure. Hell, one week ago he would have thought the same. But maybe if he told Kotaro all that had been on his mind the last few days the other would understand what he felt, why he couldn't stand the thought of Kotaro dying. It was now or never.

Hanzo lowered his head, he couldn't look into those accusing eyes. "It's not the sex, I finally know that now. It's you. You understand me and what it means to be a ninja. I don't know why, but somehow your presence alone calms me. I know that you are supposed to be my enemy and it sounds crazy, but somehow I feel safe when I'm with you."

When Kotaro didn't show any reaction to his confession, Hanzo got nervous. Maybe he had misjudged the situation? "I'd better go now."

He was up and halfway to the door when he heard the other talk. "No. Stay."

Hanzo turned around and looked at the other man. He couldn't believe what he saw. There was a smile on Kotaro's face, not a smirk or a grin but a real smile. Hanzo felt his heart beat faster. Here was Kotaro, chained to the wall in a dirty cell in the castle of his enemy, and he was smiling.

Slowly Hanzo sat back down in front of him. "So you believe me? You understand?" Just looking at that smile made his heart flutter and hope swell inside him.

Kotaro shook his head, but the smile never vanished from his face. "My dear Hanzo, weren't you the one that told me only minutes ago that I am the only one that understands you? Maybe I even know you better than you know yourself."

That made Hanzo blink. "Don't tell me you-"

"Knew it all this time?" There was that grin again. "Of course. I know that I'm good but it probably wouldn't be enough for you to always come to me all the way to Odawara. So when your visits became more and more frequent I knew what was going on. I just had to wait for you to realize it too. And believe me when I say I wouldn't have put up with your moods otherwise."

Somehow everything was starting to make sense to Hanzo. He had always tried not to think about it but some part of him had always wondered why Kotaro never had complained about anything. "Then why did you get so angry the last time I came here?"

The grin vanished and a dark look appeared. Hanzo could see traces of the anger he had experienced that day. "It is one thing for you to come to me to Odawara. But I won't tolerate you taking advantage while I am chained to a wall in the dungeon of your lord's castle. I still have my pride."

Hanzo had to admit that he hadn't looked at it like that. But it made sense. Kotaro was a very proud warrior. And being chained in a cell while someone tried to take advantage of that would make everybody feel miserable. And it was all his fault.

"I never wanted you to end up here. I was just about to let you go when my lord showed up." He looked at Kotaro, hoping the other would believe him.

After some moments Kotaro sighed and shook his head. "I know. But it's too late for that. What is done is done."

Hanzo leaned forward and slapped his hands on the floor between them. "Yes it does matter. Because if those last few days showed me one thing, it is that I can't lose you." He crawled forward and straddled Kotaro's lap, wrapping his legs around the other's waist and his arms around his torso, laying his head on Kotaro's shoulder. Barely audible he added "I need you."

He felt Kotaro's head coming to rest on top of his. The other really did understand what this was about and Hanzo closed his eyes, revelling in that warm feeling that being pressed against Kotaro brought him.

This was what it was all about: being together, being close to someone that accepted you for who you were. Why had he never noticed that before?

Their comfortable silence was only disturbed when he suddenly heard Kotaro chuckle. "I guess you didn't lie when you told me that you need me."

Hanzo frowned. "What?"

"You're horny."

The fact that it was whispered directly into his ear made shivers run down his spine. Although Hanzo couldn't see the other's face, he knew that Kotaro was smirking. He blushed. The other was right, after all that emotional up and down during the last few days his body was reacting to the other man's contact. He was indeed getting hard.

"Ignore it." It was mumbled into a strong neck.

"What, you don't want to do anything about it?" Kotaro sounded amused.

"Yes I do, but I won't."

"Are you celibate now?"

Hanzo was getting frustrated. Here he was, trying to show to the other that it really wasn't about sex and Kotaro just wouldn't quit teasing him. "No, but I told you this is not about the sex and I will prove it to you."

Kotaro chuckled again. "My dear Hanzo. Maybe I understand you, but it seems you don't understand me nearly as well. Or don't you recognize an invitation for what it is?"

Surprised Hanzo leaned back to look at Kotaro's face. "Invitation? You mean…?"

"If you want. But it seems like this time you have to do all the work since I am temporarily incapacitated." Kotaro lightly rattled the chains keeping his arms up.

Hanzo could see a smirk on the other's face. It was infectious and he couldn't help but smirk in return. "Does that mean that I can have my wicked way with you?"

"You can do whatever you want. But there is one thing I ask of you." Suddenly Kotaro grew serious. "Take off your mask. I wanna see your face."

Hanzo blinked. That last sentence did something to him he had never felt before. He had taken off his mask when they had had sex most times. It had never been a problem for him to take it off in front of Kotaro. Sure he had resisted that first time in Ueda, he was a ninja after all and his life expectancy increased considerably when nobody knew about his identity, but since Kotaro could be very persistent it had come off eventually. After that it had never been a big deal. Most times he took it off, but Kotaro had never said anything during the odd time it had stayed on his head. That's why Kotaro's request surprised him. Not the fact that he had asked him (Kotaro had always had the habit of biting his neck and Hanzo really liked that) but the way he had said it. It somehow felt so intimate.

Without thinking about it he complied. When he put the cloth down and looked back he had problems interpreting the look on Kotaro's face. There was something soft in his eyes , something he had never seen there before.

Hanzo leaned forward again against Kotaro's chest, pulling off the other's scarf to bare his neck. He started licking and nibbling the skin of Kotaro's neck. He knew how nice this felt and he wanted Kotaro to feel it too.

This taste, it was so… foreign and yet so familiar. Now that he though about it, he had never before done something like this. Even though it was always Hanzo seeking out Kotaro, it had always been Kotaro who had done everything, had fulfilled every one of Hanzo's wishes. Hanzo had always told Kotaro that he was using him, but until now he had never realised how true that statement was. But now he had the perfect opportunity to return the favour.

Hanzo started laying kisses on Kotaro's neck, kissing his way up to the other's jaw. He drew back and looked into Kotaro's eyes. That soft look was still there, now joined by heat and passion. Without hesitation he took the other's face in his hands and pressed their lips together.

He felt Kotaro's surprise as the other stiffened, but when Hanzo carefully started to move his lips Kotaro responded instantly. Tentative at first Hanzo soon grew bolder and the kiss more passionate. Kotaro never tried to push him, always adapting to what Hanzo did. But after some moments Hanzo felt the tip of a tongue softly touch the seam of his lips. He opened up instantly and Kotaro's tongue pushed inside his mouth, starting to stroke and tease his tongue.

Hanzo was the one to finally break the kiss. Both of them were panting and since he could see a light flush on Kotaro's cheeks he presumed that he himself probably didn't look much better.

Kotaro had been right, he really hadn't known what he had missed when he had refused to kiss all those times. The feeling, the taste. In some strange way this kiss had felt more intimate and personal than all the things they had been doing until now. And it had felt fantastic.

Kotaro was the first to break the silence. "Why did you-"

"Not now."

He didn't want to talk or explain himself now. That's why he started kissing Kotaro again. Only this time it was Hanzo who pushed his tongue into the other man's mouth. He wasted no time and started exploring Kotaro's mouth, licking everything from that moist warm tongue to those sharp canine like teeth.

Moving his hands that had still been resting on the other's face downwards across a strong chest to the hem of his shirt, Hanzo pushed up the shirt, stroking his hands over Kotaro's hard stomach up to his pecs. When he started rubbing the nipples he found there he felt a deep rumble in the other's chest.

Hanzo also felt Kotaro's dick stiffen against his ass and started rubbing against it. It seemed like it was time to move his explorations to other parts of Kotaro's body.

He broke the kiss and started a downward journey with lips along Kotaro's throat, skipping over the shirt that he couldn't take off due to the chains holding the other man's arms apart, and licking and biting all over his chest.

"The things I would do to you if only I had my hands." He heard Kotaro's husky voice above him.

Hanzo grinned. "Well, it seems like you have no other choice but to lie back and enjoy this time." He moved his hands down to the other's pants and tugged at the waistband. "But first, these have to go."

Together they freed Kotaro from his pants and laid them on the ground as a blanket. Hanzo settled back on the other's legs, reached down and slowly started stroking Kotaro's dick. It was a strange experience, never before had he done something like this, touching another man's dick. Now that he thought about it, he had been really selfish during their previous encounters. And that was why he had something special in mind. He looked up and saw that Kotaro had his head tipped back and eyes closed. Good, this would be much harder if the other watched him.

Hanzo scooted back and leaned forward. He hesitated. He didn't know if what he was about to do was a good idea. During on of his information gathering missions he had stumbled across a scene in a tent that had clearly not been meant to be seen by anyone. A general had been sitting in a chair with one of his officers kneeling between his legs, working the generals dick with his mouth. He had never seen it before and he didn't know if it really felt that great but the guy in the tent had seemed to really enjoy it, so he guessed it was worth a try. Even if he really didn't know how to do it.

Hanzo stuck out his tongue and gave the member in front of him a tentative lick. It tasted musky and had that typical flavour that he had tasted all over Kotaro's body. Not bad at all so he started licking in earnest.

"What are you ngh…" Kotaro's question broke off with a moan as Hanzo chose that moment to take his dick in his mouth and start sucking on it, working it with his tongue. According to the sounds Kotaro was making he was doing something right. He reached down to massage his own dick which was straining against his pants. Apparently he liked it quite a bit, too.

He tried to take more of that warm hard flesh into his mouth but when the head hit the back of his throat he gagged and drew back.

"God Hanzo, stop it."

Hanzo looked up. "What?" He could see that Kotaro was breathing fast.

"If you don't want this to end too soon you should stop with that."

He grinned. "I guess we should go to the next step then." Hanzo stood and started taking off his clothes. He could feel the other's gaze watching his every move, roaming over the body he was slowly revealing.

When he had shed all of his clothes he returned to Kotaro's lap and sought out his lips immediately. He then pressed against the other man's chest, aligned his erection with Kotaro's and started thrusting, more teasing than really trying to bring them off. He wouldn't be able to do this for long though because he was near his point of no return and he didn't want it to end like this. Hanzo heard the chains rattle and felt Kotaro trying to thrust up against him.

"Ngh, Hanzo, do something."

It seemed like Kotaro too wouldn't last much longer. Hanzo stopped. Fortunately he had thought along to prepare himself during their last kiss. He spat in his hand and wet Kotaro's dick with it.

"Don't worry, you won't have to wait any longer."

With these words Hanzo lifted himself up and positioned himself over Kotaro's dick, slowly sitting down. There was that initial resistance but when he put a little more pressure on it he felt the muscle give and Kotaro's dick push in. He sank down until the other was fully seated inside him. Hanzo then wrapped his arms around Kotaro's neck and put his head next to his, cheeks touching.

He felt the stretch in his ass, it had been some months since their last time and Kotaro wasn't exactly small, but it was worth it. He needed this. He needed Kotaro.

He felt the other's desperate try to buck up, but with their position and Hanzo's full weight on Kotaro's legs it didn't really work.

"Hanzo?" He heard Kotaro's growl directly next to his ear.

"Hm?"

"Would you mind doing something?"

He chuckled. "It seems like this time it is you who has to beg."

"I neve- oh yesss!" Again Kotaro's sentence was broken off when Hanzo lifted himself up only to slam back down again hard.

Hanzo shuddered. Oh how he had missed this, this feeling of being filled, being connected with the other man. And there was no holding back now.

He slightly rearranged his legs to get a better leverage and started a steady and fast rhythm.

It didn't take much time for Hanzo to near his climax. With their chests still pressed tightly together his dick was rubbing between their stomachs with every move, creating a friction that had him racing towards his climax faster than he would have liked. He was pushed over the edge when Kotaro started to nibble on his neck again. Throwing his head back he let out a loud moan as he started to come between their stomachs.

It seemed that he previous teasing of Kotaro had brought the other man near too because as soon as his own climax hit he could feel heat flooding him, Kotaro joining him in pleasure.

Exhausted Hanzo slumped against Kotaro's chest, feeling the other's frantic heartbeat under his him. This intimacy, this trust between them he hadn't even noticed until a few days ago, he couldn't lose this.

More than ever Hanzo knew that he had to do something.

-x-

It was way past midnight when Hanzo entered the cell again. Kotaro was looking at him questioningly, but Hanzo walked straight to the chain holding Kotaro's right arm.

"Quick, get up. We don't have much time."

"What are you doing?" Kotaro was still confused, but he stood.

"What does it look like? I'm helping you get out of here." The first chain fell away and Hanzo started working on the second lock. "But you need to be quick. They will change the guards soon and that is the perfect time to flee without anybody noticing. And while I think that you would be able to escape even if they noticed you, it will be easier this way. You will be far away before anybody notices that you are gone." The second wrist came free. "Now go!"

But Kotaro didn't move, he just stood there and looked at Hanzo. "Why are you doing this? You said you didn't want to lose me and yet you are wasting the perfect opportunity to always have me near you."

"I'd rather not have you with me than see you in here for one more day. And now go!"

Kotaro looked at him for several moments, his face an unreadable mask in the pale moonlight that shone through a small window, before he gave a small nod. Then he was gone.

Hanzo sighed. If you love something, set it free…

-x-

Hanzo entered his room. Another mission successfully accomplished. Another night he would spend alone, plagued by that restlessness that always overcame him whenever he retuned from a battle.

He sighed. It had been nearly two months since he had helped Kotaro escape. He hadn't heard a word from the other since then, not that he would have expected it any different. He had kept his ears open if there was any news on Kotaro's escape but it seemed like nobody knew that he had anything to do with it.

But even though he was happy that Kotaro was free now he still felt sad. If it had been four months ago he would be on his way to Kotaro right now. And even though he had never noticed that thing between them for what it was until it had almost been too late, the other had always been there for him when he had needed someone to help him after a difficult battle. Someone who understood him and knew what he needed. And, like he had found out at the end, someone who liked him for who he was.

But it was too late now. Kotaro was probably halfway across the country by now, never to be seen again.

Not knowing what else to do Hanzo started sorting his weapons, collecting the ones he needed to clean and putting away those that he hadn't used.

When he suddenly heard a "Woof" he looked up. There, sitting in the corner of his room was one of Kotaro's dogs. The animal was looking at him curiously, tongue sticking out at the side of its snout. Hanzo looked around. Surely Kotaro wasn't stupid enough to come here. When he didn't see anybody besides the dog that was still sitting there happily he felt a strange mixture of relief and disappointment. While he was relieved that Kotaro was still save out there somewhere (he doubted the animal would be this calm if its master was in trouble) he also felt disappointed that it was alone.

When the dog woofed again he looked more closely. There was something tied around the neck of the animal, well hidden by the bushy fur. Carefully he approached the dog. When it didn't make any move to attack he untied the rope around its neck and unfolded the paper attached to it.

Written on the paper was one simple line. "Some things don't need to change."

Hanzo looked at the paper and smiled. Then he turned to the dog. "Come on. We're going to visit your master."


End file.
